Hemp-cleaner.



J. L. ANDREAS.

HEMP CLEANER.l .APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

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JOHN L. ANDREAS, or PIERGETON, INDIANA.

I-IElVIP-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Y Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Application filed May 7, 1917. Serial No. 166,845.

To all whom 15 may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. ANDREAS, a citizen of the Unit-ed States of America, and resident of Pierceton, in the county of Kosciusko and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hemp-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hemp cleaners of the class which effects the separation of the hurds from the fibrous parts of the stocks, which are intended to be recovered from the raw material after the stocks have been passed through what is commonly known as the breaking process. The object of the present invention is to mechanically subject the stocks of broken hemp in a continuously moving mass to a vibratory action to effect the release and separation of the hurds from the fiber, and to cause the moving mass of material after the hurds have been partially removedL to become inverted and subjected to subsequent vibratory actions, it being the intention that the hurds when thus shaken loose will gravitally pass from the moving mass leaving kthe fibrous material free from their encumbrance.

The object of the invention is .accomplished by the construction illustrated `in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying the invention; and

l? 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line -w thereof.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views and referring now to the same:

The machine is constructed with a frame consisting of base-beams 1 from which extend vertical standards 2, the latter having secured thereto horizontal beams 3 and A respectively. Upon the extending ends of the base-beams is mounted a breaker 5 which is of the usual type of machine employed in breaking hemp.

An endless carrier A is mounted in the lower part of the frame and consists of belts 6 trained upon pulleys 7 and 8 that are mounted upon rotatable shafts 9 and 10 respectively, there being numerous slats 11 each of which is secured at its respective ends to the corresponding belt. The slats are spaced sufficiently apart to admit of the passage therebetween of the hurds as they become loosened from the fiber of the stocks.v Idle pulleys 12 mounted upon a shaft `13 are also provided for supporting the upper part of the carrier approximately at a point midway between its ends. Also vibrator-members 14 are mounted upon corresponding drive-shafts` 15 and positioned so that the lugs 16 on the vibrator-members will strike against the upper strand of the belts 6 as the members are rotated, the ef fect being to shake the carrier during the passage of the raw material thereover.

A second endless carrier B is arranged in the frame above the former carrier and is similarly constructed and mounted upon pulleys 17 and 18. dlers 19 are also .pro-v vided for the support of the carrier as in the former instance. Vibrating-members 20 are arranged in operating relation with the carrier B to cause vibration of the latter. A third endless carrier C is mounted upon pulleys 21 in the upper part of the frame, there being vibrator-members 22 in operating relation therewith and also idlers 23 for its support.

Beneath the conveyer B is arranged an inclined chute 24 that is suspended from hangers 25 that are hinged Vto the corresponding beams 3. A .similar chute 26 is arranged beneath the carrier C and is suspended from hangers 27 that are hinged to the corresponding beams 4. A crank-shaft 28 is arranged in vertical position upon one side of the frame and each of said chutes has comiection with a corresponding crank 29 by means of a connecting-rod 30 so that as the crank-shaft rotates the chutes will become shaken sidewise, the intention being to induce the hurds that fall from the carriers into the chutes to become discharged therefrom at one side of the machine. An

inverting conveyer D is arranged in coperative relation with the carriers A and B, and a second inverting conveyer E is arranged in coperating relation with the carriers B and C at the ends thereof opposite the former conveyer. Each of the conveyers consist of an idle drum 31 upon which is trained an endless belt 32 that runs also upon a roller 33 that is mounted in close proximity to the end of the adjacent carrier. A roller 34 bears against the conveyer-belt 32 and serves to keep the latter taut. Also an endless belt 35 extends around a portion of the drum upon the exterior of the former conveyer-belt 32 and is trained over rollers 36, 37 and 38, the latter being positioned adjacent the discharge end of the corresponding carrier. The intention is that the fibrous material as it is discharged from the carrier A will pass ,between the conveyer belts 35 and 32 and be carried therebetween around the drum and passed onto the carrier B, the moving mass being turned completely over in transit. rlhe other inverting-conveyer E performs a similar function in moving the mass of fibrous material from the carrier B onto the carrier C, the mass being again turned over in transit. A conveying device F having a moving belt 39 is arranged at the discharge end of the cari-ier C for transferring the clean fibrous mass from the machine.

The several carriers, vibrators, ccnveyers and crank-shaft are actuated by suitable motion transmitting mechanism deriving movement from a power-shaft 40. A belt-wheel ll is mounted upon the shaft 40 intended for connection with a suitable source of power (not shown). The motion transmitting mechanism for imparting movement from the power-shaft 40 to the various moving parts may be of any suitable construction. For instance, `a sprocket-chain l2 is connected with a counter-shaft 43, and a pair Yof bevel gears f4 at the ends of the countershaft and crank-shaft serve to transmit motion to the-latter; a sprocket-chain 45 leads to the breaker 5 and transmits motion Jthereto; a series of sprocket-chains 46, 47, f8 and 49 are arranged in train and through these movement is imparted to the various pulleys, vibrator members, rollers and moving parts associated therewith.

In the operation of the invention stocks of cured hemp are passed through the breaker in the customary manner and-from the breaker the broken hemp passes upon the carrier A which carries the broken hemp from the breaker to the inverting conveyer D. The carrier A being subjected to vibrations during the transit of material thereover causes the hurds to become loosened from the strands of hemp, and because of gravitation and mechanical agitation, pass between the slats of the carrier leaving the strands upon the carrier until discharged therefrom into the inverting conveyer D.

The strands are carried by the conveyer D up onto the carrier B Where they are sub-` jected to furthervibration. As the strands are transferred through the conveyer D onto the carrier B the mass is turned completely over, and such hurds remaining in the mass that were not previously liberated are subjected to vibratory action during their passage over the carrier B. By inverting the mass of transient material from one carrier to the other the hurds,remainingupon the top of the mass when leaving the lower carrier, kare located at the bottom of the mass `las it is fed onto the next succeeding carrier, so that they may be more readily removed as the mass moves thereover. As the strands continue vtheir course Vfrom the carrier B through the conveyer E and onto the carrier C, the remaining hurds iii the mass become more thoroughly loosened and more readily separated because of the continuation of the friction and vibi'ation occasioned by the movement of the material and action of the conveyer and carrier, and hence readily sift through the mass of strands and pass therefrom and gravitate between the slats of the carrier C into the chuteQG from whence they become discharged at the side of the machine. The stands thus relieved of the hurds pass from the carrier C onto the conveyer F and are thereupon delivered toa suitable point of collection.

What l claim isz- 1. ln apparatus of the Vclass described, a frame; a series of horizontally disposed endless carriers arranged in the frame; laterally inclined shaking pans arranged in the frame between the carriers; vibrating'members in operative relation with each of the carriers; a series of inverting conveyers arranged in cooperative relation with the `carriers in corresponding pairs and adapted to convey material as it passes from'oneY car- -rier to the next succeeding carrier at its receiving end; and motion transmitting mechanism for imparting movement to the carriers, vibrators, pans and conveyers 2. Apparatus of the class described, having a series of transverselyv inclined shaking pans, a series of horizontally disposed agi-l Vonto the next succeeding carrier.

ln testimony whereof l aihX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. ANDREAS.

Vitnesses Y RALPH T. .Bnowniu MATILDA METTLER.

@epica et this patent :may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of vEatents,

Washington, E. C. 

